STOCKTON - It will be a special afternoon for Gillian Howard and Hanna Levanen today when the women's volleyball team will plays its annual "Pacific Plays Pink" match against No. 9 San Diego today.

The Tigers will wear pink uniforms, which will be auctioned off after the match, to raise funds for breast cancer research.

Pacific (11-10, 4-6 West Coast Conference) must be at its best at 1 p.m. today to have a chance against the Toreros(16-3, 8-2), who swept the Tigers 25-10, 25-21, 25-18 on Sept. 26. Pacific is coming off a four-set loss to No. 19 BYU on Thursday.

Howard, Pacific's standout junior middle blocker, will be playing with her maternal grandmother in her thoughts.Kazia Czerwinski, who also has multiple sclerosis, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1990 and survived it via mastectomy. A few years later Czerwinski was found to have lung cancer, but it was found early enough to be removed. She's now in her 80s and follows Howard's exploits from Connecticut.

"The fact that she survived both battles and is doing so well is inspiring," Howard said. "She's just positive about everything and it's so great to be around her. I think about her before every match, so (today) will be for her."

Levanen's family wasn't as blessed, as she lost her maternal grandmother Eeva Malmizouri, to a battle with lung and brain cancer in August at theage of 65. While the Pink promotion is for breast cancer, Levanen said she'll take a heavy heart to the court today.

Malmizouri lived with Levanen's family until she was in first grade and then moved back to Finland.

Levanen said her annual summer visits were always a highlight for her family and she found a way to track her career even while living on another continent.

"She always loved looking at all the articles about me in high school and here at Pacific," Levanen said. "She used to Skype me all the time and make me feel like the most loved granddaughter in the world."